Awards

THE WINNERS OF THE 17TH KECSKEMÉT ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL

EUROPEAN COMPETITION

Best Feature Film:

SAVAGES – Director: Claude Barras

”A rare political film for children, which reflects on the exploitation of the Global South, the protection of nature, and diversity—done with subtle storytelling, impressive craftsmanship, and scenery. The film's stillness gives the audience a chance to recognize themselves and our collective humanity. The award for Best European Feature Film goes to Savages by Claude Barras.”

Special Mention: NINA AND THE HEDGEHOG'S SECRET – Director: Jean-Loup Felicioli, Alain Gagnol

”When everything becomes insecure for families in our economy, it's especially powerful to portray the anxieties of the parents from the children's point of view. Romance, humour, adventure, cinematic references—these are the ingredients of this realistic and intriguing story. The Special Mention of the European Feature Film Jury goes to Nina and the Hedgehog's Secret by Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli.”

Best TV Series:

GYPSY TALES: TWO HORSE DEALER ASSES – Director: Roland Tóth-Pócs, László Balajthy

”The episode shown in the competition presents the dynamics and changes of human relationships in a thought-provoking and entertaining way. The Gypsy Tales series is a work of outstanding quality in terms of both artistic presentation and storytelling.”

Best TV Special:

LOLA AND THE SOUND PIANO – Director: Augusto Zanovello

"In the TV Special category, the work titled Lola and the Sound Piano can be considered excellent in terms of both visual design and storytelling and dramaturgy. The story draws the film-viewer into another world. The humanistic approach of the film is not directly didactic but is still exemplary. The creators do not exclude humour from their artistic tools, which makes the story even more human."

Award of the Student Jury

SIROCCO AND THE KINGDOM OF WINDS – Director: Benoit Chieux

”We truly came to understand what it means when people say “the jury had a tough job” — from such a diverse and high-quality selection, it was not easy to single out one film. Nevertheless, there was one film that convinced all three of us immediately.

Our decision was based on artistic execution, character design, storytelling, originality, and the relevance of the story. We were presented with a visually rich, thematically deep, and creatively crafted world that held our attention throughout. While other films divided our opinions, this work earned a unanimous decision.”

HUNGARIAN COMPETITION

Grand Prix:

THE LAST DROP – Rendező: Anna Tőkés

”Anna Tőkés’s film is characterized by the discrepancy between its refined visual language and the intense emotional pressure simmering within its characters. It is a true delight to witness a work in a visually driven art form that so directly and clearly illuminates the realm of invisible emotions.”

CATEGORY AWARDS

Best Feature Film – Pannónia Award:

PELIKAN BLUE – Director: László Csáki

”Although more than three decades have passed since the regime change, very few authentic films have captured the era’s euphoric atmosphere. Pelikan Blue has a liberating and healing effect—while it seemingly tells a story about forging train tickets, this profane tale reaches far beyond itself. With humor and dignity, it commemorates one of Eastern Europe’s historical points of no return.”

Best Short Film:

CAPRICCIO – Director: Gábor Ulrich

”One of the hallmarks of Hungarian animation is its close connection to the fine arts. The most recent example of this tradition is Gábor Ulrich’s self-reflective short film, which allows interpretation on multiple levels.”

Best TV Series – Ágnes Bálint Award:

HUNGARIAN FOLK TALES: THE PRINCE AND HIS THREE CHUMS – Director: Péter Bogyó

”The series Hungarian Folk Tales (Magyar népmesék) has been a key to how generations connect with the treasures of Hungarian culture. And it vital and is increasingly clear: this is a true key—not a copy, not a spare, not a fake. Few artistic challenges are more demanding than renewing noble traditions in an innovative way. In this case, that challenge has been met with resounding success.”

Best Applied Animation:

BERNÁDY GOES TO AMERICA – Director: Gyopár Orsolya Búzási

”The film sparks curiosity about a city, invites us to explore the life of its titular character, encourages play—and, almost incidentally, highlights the inexhaustible possibilities of animation as a medium.”

Best Student Film:

ESCAPE – Director: Anna Tarcsi

”With its classical structure and attention to audience engagement, Escape (Szökés) stands out as a refreshing exception among the competition films. At the same time, it represents a relatively new trend: a post-postmodern return to engaging, twist-driven storytelling.”

SPECIAL MENTIONS

Best Exam Film:

110 Years of Hungarian Animation – Director: Borbála Fendrik

”This short etude is a disciplined and elegant summary of 110 years of animation history, while also bearing the clear, distinctive imprint of a young creator’s own artistic style.”

Best Visual Language:

WISH YOU WERE EAR – Director: Mirjana Balogh

”The film’s visual world is strikingly bold, yet never self-centered or arbitrary. Within the structure crafted by the creator, wild and vivid colors conceal hesitant, fragile souls—a tension that arises from this contrast infuses the narrative with a constant, compelling energy.”

Best Music:

CHILDREN OF THE BIRD – Music: Bálint Szabó, director: Júlia Tudisco

”The film’s music expresses the gods’ longing for harmony with a voice that is both humbly blended to the artistic concept and powerfully individual.”

Best Animation Work:

THE QUEST – Director: Csaba Máli, Zsolt Pálfi

”The jury highly values this rich, high-quality work of animation — a tribute expressed through drawings that honors the unparalleled legacy of Attila Dargay.”

Best Digital Technic:

ARTWORK – Director: Béla Klingl

”Béla Klingl, an artist well-versed in every nuance of the craft, uses this film to explore the connections between creation, artistry, and aesthetic morality through technically innovative means. Few established creators dare to experiment with such boldness, which is why the jury regards this film as an exemplary achievement.”

FURTHER AWARDS

Award of the Hungarian Film Critics:

CAPRICCIO – Director: Gábor Ulrich

Special Mention of the Hungarian Film Critics:

ARTWORK – Director: Béla Klingl

Junior Jury’s Award: Best Short Film

WISH YOU WERE EAR – Director: Mirjana Balogh

”In the Best Hungarian Short Film category, the jury awarded the top prize to Mirjana Balogh’s Wish You Were Ear. The decision took into account the film’s creative approach to a serious topic and its original execution. The film excelled notably in cohesion: The animation effectively supported the theme. The character designs were unique and expressive. The music reflected the film’s mood without distraction. The pun in the title brilliantly conveys the story. The film’s conclusion evokes a cathartic response from the audience.”

Junior Jury’s Award: Best TV Series

FLEDGLINGS: THE BLACK PANTHER – Director: Ervin B. Nagy

”In the Hungarian TV Series category, applying the same criteria, the jury selected Ervin B. Nagy’s episode The Black Panther (A fekete párduc) from Fledglings (Cserebogarak). Despite its short duration, the work tells a well-constructed story with strong dramaturgy and a fitting conclusion. The jury was won over by the animation’s simplicity and its monochrome (vintage) color palette. Our main argument is that this piece holds up perfectly as part of a series. It preserves the memory of Hungarian athletes in a way that motivates and is accessible to audiences of all ages.”

Award of the Student Jury: Best Hungarian Film

SEDER NIGHT FEVER – Director: Vivien Hárshegyi

”What we found truly special about the film Seder Night Fever is that, while essentially serving as a witty and visually striking “commercial” for Seder nights, it nonetheless retains the creator’s distinctive style. The film blends humor with deeper cultural layers, subtly weaving in elements of Jewish culture and presenting the living nature of traditions through a unique perspective. This original mix makes the film both entertaining and thought-provoking.”

Audience Award:

PELIKAN BLUE – Director: László Csáki

Audience Award of the Aranyhomok Small Regional Development Association:

FLOKI: IN SEARCH OF A HOWL – Director: Miklós Weigert